BROOK PARK, Ohio (WOIO) - Brook Park leaders have released hundreds of pages of documents outlining plans for the city’s multi-billion-dollar domed stadium project, including a preliminary development plan for the 176-acre site surrounding the Cleveland Browns’ new stadium — and a push to secure federal funding for the roads and infrastructure needed to support it.
The pre-preliminary development plan spans more than 60 pages and details what visitors can expect at the site, including restaurants, shops, office space, residential units, parks, and walking trails.
The project calls for a 70,000-seat domed stadium, more than 1,500 residential units, hotels with more than 400 rooms, 299,000 square feet of retail space, and more than 890,000 square feet of public open space.
The plan also outlines designated entry and exit points for fans across the 176-acre site.
Economic Development Commissioner Paul Marnecheck said the release marks a significant step forward for residents seeking answers about the project.
“Individuals who have been coming forward, want more information, want to have a better understanding of this project, this is that next step,” Marnecheck said.
Marnecheck said the plan begins to answer specific questions about the site’s layout.
“If you are someone who lived in Brook Park your whole life, you know exactly where this property is, but now you can say, ‘If I am standing on Henry Ford Blvd, what am I going to see? What is going to be to my left? What is going to be to my right?’ Those things are now starting to come into focus,” he said.
When asked what a Browns game day would look like compared to a typical day at the site, Marnecheck said details are still being worked out.
“I think that is still being fleshed out, but if you remember some of the earlier things that have been shared, when they did the four season video, you can have ice skating in the winter, farmers market in the spring, other things that I look forward to find out about,” he said.
The city is also racing to secure the full $25 million in federal BUILD grant funding to construct/improve roads around the new Huntington Bank Field.
The current roads and infrastructure around the site cannot handle the anticipated traffic volume.
Marnecheck said the proposed fixes include widening I-71 ramps, building a bridge over a railroad crossing, and adding pedestrian infrastructure throughout the corridor.
“Each buildable unit makes it easier, hopefully, to get around Cuyahoga County,” Marnecheck said.
The total infrastructure project costs more than $51 million, with Brook Park paying approximately half.
When asked what would happen if the city receives less than the full $25 million, Marnecheck said Brook Park is exploring alternatives.
“We are evaluating options there. There are other potential funding sources, so we are casting a wide net,” he said.
Leaders from across the state have submitted letters of support to the federal government for the project, including Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who previously opposed moving the team from downtown.
“We have all these entities that are contributing letters of support because they have taken the time to learn about this and realize this is a great project for the region,” Marnecheck said.
The city expects to learn whether it will receive the full federal funding by June.
If awarded, construction on the surrounding infrastructure would begin in early 2027 and run through the summer of 2029.
Once the planning commission reviews and approves the preliminary development plan, the city must also finalize a full development plan before work inside the site can begin.
The project is targeting a 2029 timeline.
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